Happy December! As opposed to sharing a poem, part of the nativity story or chocolate, I thought I’d count down to Christmas with tasty beverages.

I was surprised to learn that advent calendars were used by the German Lutherans as early as the beginning of the 19th century. It’s not surprising that they’ve been altered by merchandisers to cash in on Christmas sales.

I had a delicious beer over the weekend that we can use to kick things off.

The Hop Warrior Imperial IPA clocks in at 8.7% alcohol with an IBU of 120.2, but was incredibly well-balanced, with the right amount of hoppy bite. It was citrus-y, with notes of orange and grapefruit and had a nice malty overtone.

The beer is made at Roosterfish Brewery in Watkins Glen, NY. What started as a restaurant called Wildflower in 1990, expanded into a brewpub in 2004. Starting in 2006, they began distribution to some parts of New York State. They’re not in the city yet, but there are expansion rumors that include a bottling line. My favorite part was being able to see the brewing equipment right in the middle of the dining room.